Well, this insider's comments explain what not to do -- that is, avoid doing what's been done for decades.

"Most Japanese basketball problems are systemic," he said. "Unless you change the system, in a country resistant to change, nothing will improve.

"Mini basketball is the foundation, but it mostly exists so the coaches can win tournaments. It's not a truly developmental level. For example, many youth leagues in the US are very age specific, limit the number per team, prohibit full court pressure (for all or most of the game), only allow man-to-man defense (or limited zone), and often require that everyone play 2 quarters per game, or something similar.

"Mini basketball in Japan however consists of large numbers per team, a big gap in ages, 2nd-graders on the same team as 6th-graders (so while they practice a lot, many kids never actually play in a game), and because almost everything is tournament style, the coaches always play the best players to try to win, the marginal players get little or no playing time, and pity the inexperienced team that has to face the full court press....

"And it becomes the same thing in junior high and high school, even college. Whereas a U.S. high school might have four teams, freshman, sophomore, JV, varsity, a school in Japan has one team. So many players practice, but never play in a real game. When this happens at every level, mini basketball, junior high, high school, and college, it's easy to see that many players who might have had potential are lost along the way. Even the good players are often a couple of years behind their American or European counterparts at the same age just in terms of experience and playing time.

"I could go on and on about the level of coaching at the lower levels, the lack of baskets that prevent players from practicing individual skills, the fact that good young players aren't encouraged to go study and play abroad, the fact that the year round schedule, and tournament schedules, prevents almost all players from even going to a basketball camp in the U.S. to acquire new skills and knowledge."

A smart sports fan I know submitted the following analysis by email the other day:Japanese basketball players HAVE TO go overseas to play basketball. It will make a huge difference in terms of Japanese basketball culture. The basketball is worldwide sports and has to be like soccer. Asia, Europe, South America, Australia, North America... ANYWHERE!! Please go!!

Raise your hand if you can name a Japanese pro basketball coach who is famous and well-respected outside of Japan.

Japanese coaches are not well-known figures in this country, and that says something about the major challenges that basketball faces to grow and have greater recognition in the future.

For the bj-league's Japanese coaches, I believe many of them would benefit if they could get coaching experience in other nations, too.

The idea comes to mind today after reading a small report in the Daily Yomiuri about former national team soccer player Toshiya Fujita, who plans to coach a Dutch youth team (VVV Venlo) next year.

In the article, Fujita said, "Considering many Japanese players join European teams, the time will come when Japanese coaches go abroad. If former players become coaches and spread their influence around the world, it will help bring Japanese soccer to higher level."

Japanese coaches and team and league executives need to think outside the box, too, and recognize the value of careers outside of Japan. That will play a major role in giving the next generation of impact-makers broader perspectives, greater command of English, an invaluable skill on the international level and confidence that comes with it to communicate with anybody.

Saturday's story on Fujita:http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/sports/T120713004403.htm

One thrilling aspect of pro sports is watching athletes make seemingly dangerous play after dangerous play at breathtaking speed. It almost seems as if they don't even have time to think. And often they don't. They simply react to what's going on in their playing environments.

On other hand, Japanese sports can often -- but not always can be summed up by the words of retired player Shuzo Matsuoka, now a sports commentator, in a recent cover story in In Touch (Tokyo American Club) Magazine:

"I used to play Japanese tennis, which is waiting for opponents to make a mistake. Every time I hit the ball I looked at the coach. I wasn't playing for myself..."Substitute the name Matsuoka with hundreds of others and change the sport from tennis to basketball and you will see a problem that plagues the game in Japan. Quality basketball requires improvisational skills that go beyond a coach's fundamental Xs and Os. Coaches can only control so much; players need to think on their own in order to have a chance to elevate to greatness.

Taking risks and having the ability and desire to excel in individual and team challenges are keys for great success as a player.Indeed, Matsuoka described a situation that is common in all Japanese sports. Change, of course, can often be a good thing.

Very little reporting with substance, with real meat to it, so to speak, is done in Japan, including sports coverage.

This extends to the bj-league.

"It does seem that most Japanese media, newspapers, TV, do shy away from reporting negative stories and quotes," a hoop insider told me. "It's the gossip magazines and tabloids that always seem to cover the negative side of what is going on, and then main stream media can cover the story.

"A shame that the league won't step up and demand open access, or fine/penalize teams that refuse media access.

"But as you have mentioned, I think, the new online and other non-traditional media outlets take some time for people to get used to, especially if their role becomes something other than just another cheerleader in the room."

The general public loses. People are less informed than they should/could be.

And a column that analyzed the sport's sorry state of affairs here in Japan, and things have not improved. Just more teams, more mismanagement and no effective plan to make the sport more relevant to the masses.